Jump start your career as a professional pilot!

Private Pilot Ground School (PPGS) is a unique, fast-paced, three-week formal career and technical education (CTE) summer course that provides the opportunity for Washington State rising 9th-12th grade students to explore the fundamentals of being a professional pilot. Students will build their base of aeronautical knowledge, with concepts such as aerodynamics, aviation weather, flight instruments, and more, that is needed to successfully pass the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) private pilot written exam.

All at no cost!

PPGS instructors are licensed pilots and educators who engage students in hands-on activities like flight simulation training in the Museum’s state-of-the-art Aviation Learning Center simulator lab and collaborative group research and presentations. All activities leverage the Museum’s galleries, exhibits, and extensive resources in the Library and the Collection. 

Participants will also develop crew resource management skills, build networking confidence through meet-ups with fascinating and diverse aviation professionals and experience new worlds in aviation through engaging field trips. 

Private Pilot Ground School will give you a strong foundation in aviation, so you can stand out and succeed no matter which career path you choose.


Note: Because this is a public school class, we are only able to serve Washington state residents.

Program Details:

Dates: June-July (2026 dates coming in spring)
Time: 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM; Monday-Friday
Location: The Museum of Flight and Raisbeck Aviation High School (adjacent to the Museum)
Age: Rising 9th-12th grade students (Must be a Washington State resident)

Note: Students must provide their own transportation to and from The Museum of Flight.

Program Fee: No Cost
Credits: Participants can earn up to 0.5 high school CTE credits and 5 college credits through the Puget Sound Skills Center. To qualify, participants cannot miss more than two days of class.

Learn More About Earning Credit


Why Should You Sign-Up?

  • You will work in teams, using the aviation guidelines of Crew Resource Management, as you create a base of knowledge needed to pass the FAA private pilot written exam such as aerodynamics, aviation weather, flight instruments, airport operations, aircraft systems, and more. 
  • You will learn the fundamentals of becoming a pilot in a hands-on environment where you will learn how to use materials required to make flight plans and participate in specialized tours of the Museum. 
  • Serving as both the pilot flying and pilot monitoring, you will get hands-on in our state-of-the-art flight simulation lab with guidance and feedback from professional commercial pilots. 
  • You will meet and network with diverse aviation industry professionals such as airport managers, airline pilots, cargo pilots, test pilots, flight instructors, and more! 
  • You will go on a behind-the-scenes tour of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). 
  • You will have the opportunity to earn 0.5 High School Credits and 5 College Credits. 
  • You will receive a complimentary Connections membership for unlimited admission to the Museum (until age 19). 
  • You will become eligible to apply for Museum of Flight scholarships.


NOTE: Private Pilot Ground School is not a summer camp. 

PPGS is a formal dual credit high school career and technical education (CTE) summer school course run through the Puget Sound Skills Center. This means participation in this program is placed on your transcript and will impact your overall GPA. The program includes graded tests, quizzes, and projects and is equivalent to a semester-long course. Students must attend class daily for the entire day; you are able to miss up to two days before receiving a non-passing grade. If you know that you will not be able to attend the course in its entirety, you should evaluate if you want to participate in the program to ensure it won’t show up as a non-passing grade on your transcript.

How to Apply:

The application for Summer 2026 will open in the spring. If you'd like to be put on the update list for Summer 2026, please email groundschool@museumofflight.org.




Delta Air Lines is the Airline Funding Partner of Private Pilot Ground School for 2025

Delta Air Lines



For more information, contact GroundSchool@museumofflight.org or call 206-764-0276.